Jonas Malheiro Savimbi Biography and Timeline

UNITA

Founds the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola, based on the Ovimbundu

Siege of Teixeira de Sousa

UNITA carries out its first attack preventing trains from passing through the Benguela railway at Teixeira de Sousa on the border with Zambia. President Kenneth Kaunda responds by kicking UNITAs 500 militant forces out of Zambia, Savimbi moves to Cairo, Egypt where he lived for a year then secretly entered Angola through Zambia and works with the Portuguese military against the MPLA

Role range: 1961-1974

Agreement of Alvor

Holden Roberto, Agostinho Neto, and Jonas Savimbi met in Bukavu, Zaire agree to negotiate with the Portuguese as one political entity

Agreement of Alvor

The Alvor Agreement grants Angola independence from Portugal on November 11, ending the war for independence while marking the transition to civil war

Independence of Angola

The Alvor Agreement grants Angola independence from Portugal on November 11, ending the war for independence while marking the transition to civil war

National Liberation Front of Angola (FNLA)

President Gerald Ford approves covert aid to UNITA and the FNLA through Operation IA Feature

Operation IA Feature

President Gerald Ford approves covert aid to UNITA and the FNLA through Operation IA Feature

UNITA

President Gerald Ford approves covert aid to UNITA and the FNLA through Operation IA Feature

Election

The MPLA, FNLA & UNITA agree to hold the first assembly elections in October 1975. The free elections the agreement had provided for by October 31, 1975 were finally held in 1992, UNITA, in 2nd place, did not accept the outcome and the civil war continued for another 10 years, only to end in 2002, when UNITA leader Savimbi got killed

National Liberation Front of Angola (FNLA)

The MPLA, FNLA & UNITA agree to hold the first assembly elections in October 1975

Independence of Angola

The FNLA and UNITA forge an alliance proclaiming their own coalition Government based in Huambo with Holden Roberto and Jonas Savimbi as co-presidents and Jose Ndele and Johnny Pinnock Eduardo as co-Prime Minister's

National Liberation Front of Angola (FNLA)

The FNLA and UNITA forge an alliance proclaiming their own coalition Government based in Huambo with Holden Roberto and Jonas Savimbi as co-presidents and Jose Ndele and Johnny Pinnock Eduardo as co-Prime Minister's

UNITA

The FNLA and UNITA forge an alliance proclaiming their own coalition Government based in Huambo with Holden Roberto and Jonas Savimbi as co-presidents and Jose Ndele and Johnny Pinnock Eduardo as co-Prime Minister's

South African Defence Force

The South African Government tells Savimbi and Roberto that the South African Defence Force (SADF) will soon end operations in Angola despite the coalitions failure to capture Luanda and therefore secure international recognition

Alliance Agreement with UNITA

During the final stages of the war against the Portuguese (and the MPLA) in 1975, the FNLA form a shaky alliance with UNITA, announcing the formation of the Democratic Republic of Angola

Alliance FNLA and UNITA

During the final stages of the war against the Portuguese (and the MPLA) in 1975, the FNLA form a shaky alliance with UNITA, announcing the formation of the Democratic Republic of Angola

Democratic Republic of Angola

During the final stages of the war against the Portuguese (and the MPLA) in 1975, the FNLA form a shaky alliance with UNITA, announcing the formation of the Democratic Republic of Angola

National Liberation Front of Angola (FNLA)

The MPLA, FNLA & UNITA agree to hold the first assembly elections in October 1975. During the final stages of the war against the Portuguese (and the MPLA) in 1975, the FNLA form a shaky alliance with UNITA, announcing the formation of the Democratic Republic of Angola

Political Support at Luanda

The US Congress forbids the Presisdent to support UNITA

Democratic Republic of Angola

During the final stages of the war against the Portuguese (and the MPLA) in 1975, the FNLA form a shaky alliance with UNITA, announcing the formation of the Democratic Republic of Angola

National Liberation Front of Angola (FNLA)

During the final stages of the war against the Portuguese (and the MPLA) in 1975, the FNLA form a shaky alliance with UNITA, announcing the formation of the Democratic Republic of Angola. Attacking Luanda from the north, the FNLA are defeated and never recover, elements of the FNLA are eventually absorbed into UNITA

UNITA

During the final stages of the war against the Portuguese (and the MPLA) in 1975, the FNLA form a shaky alliance with UNITA, announcing the formation of the Democratic Republic of Angola

Capture of Huambo

UNITAs capital falls to the FNLA

Political Support at Jamba

Gains South African support & establishes a miliary camp on the South West Africa border

Visit to Washington

Visits President Reagan at the Whitehouse

Siege of Cuito Cuanavale

Defeated after Castro sends in 12,000 extra troops, South Africa withdraw from Angola

Peace

UNITA, backed by South Africa, agrees a truce with the MPLA, backed by Cuba. The cease-fire is abandoned after 2 months

Monitoring Commission

The Angolan Government and UNITA form the Joint Verification and Monitoring Commission and the Joint Commission on the Formation of the Angolan Armed Forces

UNITA

UNITA and the Angolan Government began six rounds of negotiations, the Portuguese Government mediates the discussion while officials from the US and Soviet Governments observe. The Angolan Government and UNITA form the Joint Verification and Monitoring Commission and the Joint Commission on the Formation of the Angolan Armed Forces

UNITA

The Bicesse Accords, also known as the Estoril Accords, lay out a transition to multi-party democracy in Angola under the supervision of the United Nations UNAVEM II mission

Angolan Armed Forces

The accords attempt to demobilize the 152,000 active fighters and integrate the remaining Government troops and UNITA rebels into a 50,000-strong Angolan Armed Forces (FAA)

Bicesse Accords

President Jose Eduardo dos Santos of the MPLA and Jonas Savimbi of UNITA sign the accord in Lisbon, Portugal.

Bicesse Accords

The Bicesse Accords, also known as the Estoril Accords, lay out a transition to multi-party democracy in Angola under the supervision of the United Nations UNAVEM II mission.

Bicesse Accords

The accords attempt to demobilize the 152,000 active fighters and integrate the remaining Government troops and UNITA rebels into a 50,000-strong Angolan Armed Forces (FAA).

UNITA

The accords attempt to demobilize the 152,000 active fighters and integrate the remaining Government troops and UNITA rebels into a 50,000-strong Angolan Armed Forces (FAA). President Jose Eduardo dos Santos of the MPLA and Jonas Savimbi of UNITA sign the accord in Lisbon, Portugal

Bicesse Accords

The Bicesse Accords, also known as the Estoril Accords, lay out a transition to multi-party democracy in Angola under the supervision of the United Nations UNAVEM II mission

United Nations

The Bicesse Accords, also known as the Estoril Accords, lay out a transition to multi-party democracy in Angola under the supervision of the United Nations UNAVEM II mission

Election

UNITA rejects the official results of the 1992 presidential elections as rigged and renewed their guerrilla war

Peace

Does not attend the signing of the peace